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Earth 35
Mythology Folk Tales Mythological Interpretation of Interplanetary Settlement This is a common story told across civilization. Many details have changed from the original history. "Back in ancient days, 10,000 years before any one still living was born, the first ones left the Eard and came from across the sea. They came slowly, for the sea was longer in those days. And they knew that by the time they reached the land they would all be dead as dust. So they used the secret magics of their homeland and they changed, like caterpillars emerging from cacoons. Now cruel aging and wanton sickness would never touch them, but their minds had changed as well. For though some could think, and feel, and want, none could do all three. When they reached the land that would one day be ours, it was nothing but rock, and smoke, and stream. But the first ones were clever, in the rocks they placed plants and animals. Soon the land was alive as it is today. So they placed the ogres and dragons and other monsters so that no one would take the land from them and their descendants. But others came to the land after them. A new folk came from across the sea. They brought stories and songs and all the languages of the world. When they reached the land they built towers and planted wheat. It was these ones who founded the Old Empire, a thousand years before Veiiun had conquered anyone. The first ones did not know what to do with these strange people. These new folk were far less powerful but far more numerous, and clever in their own ways. The first ones retreated into the deep caves and the thick forests. They hid beneath the sea and behind the moon. They watched. After some time, the Old Empire met the monsters that the first ones had made. They fought, and by the end the monsters were beaten and scattered across the land like seeds in the wind. But the old Empire was dying now. Within a generation they were no more, their people were scattered like the monsters they had defeated. Without their unity and their old magics to protect them the people were vulnerable to the monsters. They hid and slowly died of fear, until the first ones revealed themselves. The first ones came down to them in the manner of gods. They taught the folk below the skills they had forgotten. They taught them how to make bronze and breed animals. They instructed them in some of the old ways, and taught them the new magics of this land. The new folk forgot their faith in the true God worshipped the first ones instead. And so the first ones became the pantheons of Veiiun and of the North. They became the Elders of the South, the Old Ones of the forest folk and the old western tribes, and the Demoms still worshipped by the barbarians in Waeland and the east." Geography Map of The Known Cehsilin World (Topography and Cities) = Green represents farmland or plains, Tan represents hills, Dark Green represnts forest, Dark Brown represents mountains, Political Map of Known World, 975 Annum Imperium Major Geographic Regions The Zhongjie Sea The Garthean Sea The Adem Sea (Ademzee) * The Sea on the Western Coast of the Orbia Major continent Benoric Bay The Occident * Location ** From an eastern imagined line stretching down from the Garthean Sea down to the bay of Pearls, to the coast of the Ademzee in the West. Medvia (The Xindìqū) * Location ** It stretches from the Jingfu peninsula in the south, to Gaurlince in the north Sarhadia * The borderlands of the Cehsilin world. * It includes Tuathnor in the North, Waeland in the midde, and parts of Gaurlince and the highlands of Austarkan in the south. Jingfu * Location The Deepwood * Location ** In the Middle of Coria. * In General ** A mysterious forest land at the heart of Coria. Only the bravest of merchants, the most intrepid knights errant, and the most desperate outcasts, make their way throught the forest of Deepwood. ** The dense trees cast the forest in perpetual twilight. Odd creatures and millenia old enchantments make travel dangerous for those not familiar with this land. * Waldfolk ** Over the years criminals, rebels, and other outcasts have found peace instead of fear in the forest. The oldest dwellers have formed a culture called the Waldfolk in a region of the forest around the Thornwall river. ** The Waldfolk live in distributed hamlets throughout the forest. These hamlets are usually built around shrines called Holy groves, and family grave sites called Gravegroves. Merchants from outside travel from hamlet to hamlet to get through the forest. *** Often, in times of war, refugees will flee into the Deepwood and join the hamletes of the Waldfolk. ** The Waldfolk even have a city called Blackwall. *** Blackwall is named for the Obsidian walls which surround it. *** The Forest King, the elected leader of the Waldfolk's loose confederacy resides hear. *** The Cardinal of Oak, the leader of the Waldfolk's heretical branch of Cehsilinism, resides in Blackwall. *** The Wizards of Pagewall university have a research post here in one of the abandoned, half ruined obsidian towers. *** It is famous in legends throughout the continent as a place of mysteries, where heroes visit on their way through great quests. ** The Waldfolk keep small grain gardens and large orchards which surround their hamlets. They herd a breed of deer which have been bred to stand on their hind legs to eat leaves from trees. * Caer Y Duwai ** The Wizards of the Universities speculated that the reason there are so many enchantments in the Deepwood is that this was the home of the gods in days of myth when the whole world was forest, free of farms and fields. They say the gods dwelt here in the Obsidian ruins, called Caer Y Duwai by the locals, which are on top of the tallest mountain at the center of the Deepwood. * The Tuatha de Herne ** The Deepwood is home to the Tuatha de Herne (also called Hernefolk), one of the inhuman civilizations of the world. They once lived in a might civilization spanning the central heartlands of Orbis Major, but since the decline of the gods they now live only in hidden cities. ** The Hernefolk are skilled smiths, they are the only ones who know the secret of the creation of White Iron (Aluminum). They forged the crown, arrows, and shield of the White Iron Emperor in ancient days. *** The legendary crafting of the Hernefolk is one of the primary reasons why merchants trek into the Deepwood despite the danger. Important Polities Asilu * This peninsula was once the heartland of the Nuzulun empire. Obodo * Obodo is the site of the holiest sites and relics of the Cehsilin faith. Reimin Tuathnor Corvia * The Veiunnic speaking region between Reimin and Jingfu. It is the old heartland of the Veiunnic Empire, comprising the central road systems and Aetheland Austarkan * Name ** When Sarvesh revolted against the Ogre dynasty of the Veiunnic Empire, he won several impressive military victories and became known as the "Starken of the Aas" (The Aas is the central river of the territory). His kingdom became known as Aasstarken, which eventually evolved into Austarkan. Blessed Tarnasian Empire * In General ** Lingua Franca: Donnerisch * Kingdom of Atravedia ** Central Atravedia *** Centered around Kalber Lake. Second most populus region. *** Settled by Nuzulun in ancient days. *** Primary luggage is Western Nuzulunic ** Near Atravedia *** Southern region, highest population ** Upper Atravedia *** Northern Region, least populous ** Outer Atravedia *** Western border region. *** Divided between * Kingdom of the Stormhills * Kingdom of Saedvjony * Principality of Ulke * Principality of Kustland * Principality of The Shards * Principality of Cinzahma * Principality of Gharlahar ** Located in between Saedvjony and Atravedia, the Principality of _____ is fairly large, but it is the least populated principality ** Full of karst mountains and valleys that fill with mist. The misty valleys are filled with mighty redwood trees. *** The largest valley is called the "Larhabahar," sea of mist. **** Many of the people live on villages on top of mountain pillars, drawn by holy sites and by a particular set of plants that need mist to survive, but grow best in the sunlight on top of the pillars. ***** One such important plant is the Fogvine, which produces pale sweet berries called fog berries which area brewed into a strong wine. *** * Ducky of Birkestrom Important Cities Hamzaburj * Capital of Nuzulun * Within the imperial Walled district in Hamzaburj, a new language formed as generations of scribes and bureaucrats lived in the walled neighborhood. ** The bureaucratic Jadar district was the center of the Imperial bureaucracy for several centuries. It continued on under the kings, the Magocracy, and the Veiiunic empire. ** The new dialect encourages its speakers to be sometimes very precise, and sometimes very convoluted depending on the context. Veiiun * Prounounced Way-yun History of Earth 35 When the humans arrived they formed what was later called the Old Empire. They made large towers of glass and ruled the world. Eventually they fought the monsters left behind by the old ones but their technology was unsustainable without the necessary infrastructure. The empire fell apart. Timeline History of Veiiunic Empire City of Veiiun * The city of Wěi Yan was established by the Kingdom of Reimin. It connected the urbanized coastal Reimin heartland (stretching from the Bay of Pòxiǎo down to the west side of Jing Fu) to trade routes through the river kingdoms and Tarnasia. * At the end of the first age of empires, and the beginning of the first heroic age, Wěi Yan was conquered by some of the nomadic tribes of Jing Fu. These Vagii conquered the city under the Duxmillitia Titus son of Otho. Titus united several tribes and led them on raids against Reimin. According to legend, while sacking Wěi Yan, his army of 50,000 men (probably 20,000) was besieged by the Reimin army of 500,000 (probably 200,000). Titus used the Great Market as a fortress for his defense, and successfully repelled the much larger army. * The First Veiiun Empire emerged in the second age of empires. The expanded until they controlled the entire Jing Fu peninusla. Next they spread into the central river lands and hills to the North, before conquering Reimin in a long war. ** The Empire went into serious decline after a famine. It lost control of Reimin, and became very decentralized. * The Second Empire is usually considered the golden age of Veiiun. The Second Empire re-consolidated the territory of the first empire, before coming into contact with, and going to war, with Nuzulun. It can be divided into four phases. ** Re Consolidation: As told in the epic poem, The Tripugna, Emperor Lius I re-consolidated the old territories and repaired the Empire of Veiiun. ** Early Expansion: The Empire stretches past its boundaries. It expands into the western riverlands, and the borders of Aspaana. *** The Nuzulun Wars: 2-3 wars that would come to define the Empire. **** Nuzulun won the First War, humiliating Veiiun and imparting harsh terms. **** In the second war, Nuzulun almost won again, but a young General managed to strike at their homeland. ** Age of the Aesic Dynastic: The Golden Age. The Empire expands northward and Westward, claiming Gaurlince and Cinzahma. *** Each emperor in this time was given Laudonym based on a precious metal. *** The first was Isaurus the Great, the White Iron Emperor. As a mid-level general he conquered Nuzulun. He returned home and established himself as the new Emperor on the throne of Jade and Silver. **** He was assassinated, but his adopted heir, Dudecimis, fought a civil war and made himself the Gold Emperor. **** Remaining emperors: Silver, Copper (Reconstructed Imperial Economy), Iron (Great Military Leader), Brass, and Tin (the one who messed it all up). ** Decline and Decentralization. * The Third Empire emerged after decades of civil war. A young general conquered Atravedia in the west, and used the newfound wealth and prestige to crown himself. History of Nuzulun (نزول) Introduction * Because so many states claim descent from the mighty Veiiun, the Empire of Nuzulun is often underplayed as merely Veiiun's rival. In truth, the Empire of Nuzulun was more than 600 years old when it was finally conquered by the comparatively young Veiiunic empire, and Nuzulun had a considerable impact on history. * The geography around Nuzulun favors naval power. The Nuzulun region is in the north of the Peninsula. The capital, Hamzaburj, sits on the edge of the Asilu Peninsula (تصل). The rivers Maesim (معصم) and Saeid (ساعد) make the peninsula fairly easily to unify. While the peninusla is very hot the ocean keeps it from entirely overheating and the rivers make the land fertile enough to support large urban populations. All these factors make the controller of the Asilu peninsula very powerful, but the considerable mountain range to the south, and the unappealing nature of the steppeland beyond the Eiqab (عقاب) mountains push the Nuzulun's natural paths of expansion to the bay of Obodo and across the sea to Aspataal. * The first Nuzulun state, called the Hamzaburj Empire, emerged as a naval rival to Khenzael around 1100 BI. The city state kept most of its records on reed paper, much of which rotted or burned during the second heroic age. It is believed to have been a fairly small and conventional bronze age empire, conquering many islands of the middle sea and pillaging Khenzael after several wars. Start of the Second Empire * The second Nuzulun Empire was much more interesting. Before it became an empire, the Nuzulun Sultanate developed a strong navy in response to seaborn raids from Tuphānu (తుఫాను). Using their navy they were able to conquer Tuphānu and many other small islands in the Middle Sea, creating an early trade network. This trade network gave them significant wealth when the kingdoms of Aspataal and Khenzael re-surged. * Over the next ~50 years the military of Nuzulun became quite strong as they hired themselves out as mercenaries in the conflict between Aspataal and Khenzael. When Aspataal finally conquered Khenzael in 507 BI the Army of Nuzulun was made very wealthy by the sack of the capital city, but now had nothing to do. In 503, the young Sultan Saif II, used his army to conquer the kingdom of Obodo, crowning himself Eazim-Sultan. * Several factions developed over Saif's reign. Saif reformed the imperial bureaucracy in order to minister the new territories. In order to improve communication, he hired low level magicians (who had previously worked in the temples) to communicate across distances. This necessitated the creation of schools to teach magic, the progenitors of the Imperial Magical Universities. Aspana Wars * Over the next 150 years the empire continued to expand. They ran into trouble however when they came into conflict with Aspataal. The two empires clashed in a series of wars. First in 450 BI when Aspataal won the first Aspana war, and ending in 360 BI when Nuzulun finally conqured the region in the fourth Aspana war under the Eazim-Sultan Zayd III. * The first Aspana war, lasting from 447 to 440 BI, was a major embarassment to Nuzulun. Aspataal ended up in control of several islands which had been controlled by Nuzulun for centuries. The second war (411-405) was worse. By the end, the great army of Aspataal threatened the shories of Asilu itself, and invasion was narrowly avoided when the Nuzulun navy destroyed Aspataal's fleet. Things turned around during the third war (381-376) when wizards from the three Imperial Universities were used to great effect for communication, spying, and occasionally combat. Famously, a group of Wizards managed to summon a rainstorm which muddied the valleys the Aspataali army was marching through, making them vulnerable to encirclement by the Nuzuluns. Another Wizard famously predicted a coming eclipse and used it to demoralize the Aspataali army. The prestige that the Imperial Universities received, earned them a spot on the Imperial council. This prestige only increased during the fourth war, when each university sent a battle-cabal to assist emperor Zayd in the final victory. This was the start of the Great Peace. The Rise of the Thaumarchy * Ever since the beginning of the empire, the bureaucracy had become more and more autonomous. ** Certification for the middle and upper echelons of the bureaucracy came from three sources, the military, the temples, and the universities. *** After the second civil war, a law was passed saying that certain important mid-tier bureaucratic positions had to be magic users for purposes of communication. This was the first step in the gradual tilt in power toward the universities. * As the Emperors were associated more and more with the army, their significance declined as the Army's influence declined. The last great emperor was Zayd III. Zayd III is famous for finally conquering Aspataal, but crucially he relied not only on the Nuzulun military, but also a blockade by the navy, and the Wizards of the Nuzuli Universities. * Zayd III ruled for 25 more years after the fourth Aspana war. After an admiral attempted a coup against him Zayd became paranoid against the navy and increasingly allied himself with the temples and the universities. Zayd downsized the Imperial Navy and divided the unneeded ships into Imperially Chartered trading companies, which he gifted to loyal friends, including the universities. After this the navy was still a powerful forced in Nuzuli politics, but the Universities and Temples became more and more powerful. * After Zayd III died without heirs, his nephew became Sultan, but died soon after, leaving only a child to inherit the throne. The emperors became figureheads, and the beuracraucy became the primary instrument of power. * Over the next several decades, the military became more and more marginalized, while the universities and temples struggled for power. Ultimately, because magic was so useful and profitable during peace time, the Universities came to dominated Nuzulun. * The empire's population grew (necessitating a bigger beuracraucy), its people urbanized, and literacy rates increased dramatically. As a result, the middle tiers of bureaucracy became so competitive, that only magic users had a chance to qualify. Furthermore, the top tiers of the bureaucracy became so competitive, that only graduated from the highest Universities could qualify. ** This is where things took a turn for the worse. Sense there were more and more qualified potential students, the great Universities began prioritizing those with family connections. Over time, these universities evolved into de facto noble houses. By circa 100 BI, family legacy had become more important than academic rigor (with the exception of magic, which became prioritized over all else). Less qualified candidates graduated from the top universities, and thus the leaders of the government were less qualified. Many historians argue this is why Nuzulun resumed expansionism and ended the Great Peace. History of Tarkland The region now known as Tarnasia was said to first be united by the First Oger Empire. Stories claim that the Ogers ruled from the Dampland to the Stormhills, though many scholars doubt this claim. It is more likely that the First Oger ruled a much smaller empire but maintained military hegemony and forced the other petty fiefdoms to pay them tribute. Time of the Many Princes - First Age of Heroes (after the first Ugerfall) After the fall of the first Oger empire the period known as the Time of the Princes began. At this time there was no sense of shared identity between the various peoples of Tarnasia. There existed 5 distinct linguistic groups, the Damplanders, the Dröhnen speaking people of the Stormhills, the Lisan speaking people of Ulke, the Helden speaking people of the Shard Isles, and the Idioma speaking people of the Bravelands and the coast lands. At the end of the First Oger Empire, none of these peoples were united. Trade brought some wealth, and eventually some stability to Tarnasia. For the most part, trade was on a small scale between neighboring fiefdoms. However, tin in the mountains of the Stormhills was shipped all the way to Khenzanel, Sarukh, and Veiiun. Gold was also mined and shipped from the Shards. Eventually, the rise of Veiiun also led to trade from the Damplands to Veiiunic Flusfeld, through both overland trade routes and through the Bravelands. This income would lead to the Bravelands being united under King Iago Sa-Ramos who founded the Kingdom of Valentia, this was the first united state of Tarnasia. Increased trade also lead to increased Heldenic raiding at key trade routes. Helden had experienced a population boom when potatoes and barley from the East were introduced to the Islands during trade. As a result, many independent Heldenic Principalities formed on the mainland. Major Heldenic colonies included the Vjons who migrated northward and conquered and Heldenized the Dröhnen speaking people of the northern Baylands. A series of smaller colonies were formed in the coastal Marolands, leading to a culture that mixed Heldenic and Idiomac elements. Another, called the Sae, colonized the borderlands between Ulke and the Stormhills Penninsula. However, when King Tahir Solak the one handed united Ulke, and Duke Hans Friedan conquered the Peninsular lowlands and crowned himself king of the Stormhills, the two kingdoms pushed the Saes out until they conquered the northern Baylands during their migration and founded the Kingdom of Saedvjony. The Damplands were divided into several noble fiefs. The third Oger Empire conquered Valentia and the the Damplands and began raiding the surrounding regions. They ruled for 40 years. The Oger Machtarchy was the governing legislature of the third Empire. It consisted of 48 members elected by the citizens of the 24 families, ruled over by the Polemarch. For the first 30 years of Oger control the Machtarchy was actually a reasonable government. They knew they couldn't maintain control if they totally alienated the human nobility so they let the nobility stay but created a human bureaucracy that was meritocratic instead of being based on noble ties and used that to slowly erode the human nobility. This worked for the most part but cleverer noblemen realized what was happening and made sure their children were active in both the military and the bureaucracy so they could maintain power and bide their time. The time for rebellion came in the 31st year of Oger Rule when a charismatic but disastrous ruler named Oggha took power. Previously Ogers had been allowed to collect and eat the bodies of rebels and condemned criminals but Oggha changed it so that burial became illegal and all dead humans were eaten by Ogers. This led to the twelve rebellions which were mostly suppressed but capitalized on during the campaigns of Starken. Rise and Reign of Starken (Second Age of Empires) Starken van Abendreich, (born Gunter der Kriegshund van Turmburg) was the third son of King Rudolph Kriegshund van Hochstein. Rudolph had reunited the Stormhills after a civil war. He favored his eldest son and top general Seighard (der Kriegshund van Korntal). Seighard and Starken both served as officers in the Kriegshund's surprisingly meritocratic military. Yesilkaya Dynasty The second Empire to arise in Tarnasia. The Warring Princes Period (3rd age of Heros) The Rise of the Tarnasian Empire - Kohlid Dynasty (3rd Age of Empires) ''' The Tarnasian empire was united by the Kohild dynasty (the cabbage kings) '''Santos Challenge Civil war. Aminic Empire The house of Amin took power, and reunited Tarnasia, forming the Aminic Empire. While the family and many of their nobles spoke Kabodanic, the bureaucracy spoke Donnerisch. The rule of House Amin borrowed from the Kohlid Dynasty, taking the title Blessed High King (Heilig Hochkoniger) Lost power over time. Regional Dynasties arose. Vlaager Tutelage The Stormer Company (Vlaager Bedrijf) was a mercenary company that served the Amin Dynasty as a quasi-Imperial army. They replaced the Fidalgios. Eventually they took over. '-*-*- Tutelage' Durring _*_*_ Tutelage, the Blessed High Kings of House Amin, began focusing more on their religious role. Löwe Dynasty Also called Löwe tutelage. House Löwe was a moderately powerful noble house in the vicinity of the Birkestrom Duchy. Due to their position on important trade routes, Löwe expanded, gathering lands and vassals in Atravedia, Kustland, and near Tarburesk. They defended their far flung assets by using their trade money to finance several allies, and create a powerful Men-at-Arms military/mercenary company called the Order of the Lion, a mix of commoner professional troops, along with knights errant, and nobles second sons. The Order of the Lion eventually became one of the military units working for the _*_*_s to defend Tarburesk from invaders in the south and rebels in the north. House Löwe's power grew, and they conquered the Dukes of Birkestrom. House Löwe kicked out the '-*-*- '''tutors, and took the title ____. Early on it was pretty clear that the ____ would eclipse the History of Aethland Noble Houses: Chancelhill, Crowmall, Basileate Present Culture Currency '''Crowwall Coinage' (Aethic Currency) * Iron Hlaf - 1/12M - Worth roughly a small loaf of bread (on a year with a good harvest). Most recently introduced coin. * Copper Dawn - 1M - The base of the currency system, equivalent to Twelve Hlaf. It is considered the standard living wage for a slightly skilled freeman laborer. ** Ha'Dawn- 1/2M - Half a Morrow. The traditional payment for wandering karlman (peasant) farmhands was a Ha'Morrow and a Hlaf. The Ha'Morrow would serve as the (admittedly low) wage for the farmhand, and the Hlaf would serve as payment for the karlman's Liege. * Silver Mantle - 12M - * Gold Shield - 144M - Primarily used by businesses and nobility. Class/Caste Structure Social Hierarchy of the West Social hierarchies differ greatly from state to state, or even region to region. To provide a general idea, the system recognized by the imperial crown of the Blessed Tarnasian Empire. This is the system that is used as a standard to compare between the different domains of the Empire. Each domain is a bit different from the standard; the one that is the closest is the Dampland. The aristocracy in particular has evolved over the years. Initially Their are a few ways you can divide up the classes of Tarnasia. They can be divided into Nobility, Freemen, and Bonded Peasants. * Aristocracy ** In General *** The aristocracy is divided into 3 political groups and 3 social groups. **** The political groups are Reichhalters, Landhalters, and Guthalters. **** Socially the divisions are slightly different, while Dukes are Reichhalters they are socially classified has High Nobility instead of royalty. *** A freemen or bonded peasant will be executed if they are caught impersonating a noble. In extreme cases they can even be killed for wearing clothes associated with nobility such as silk, the color baron's blue, or certain hats. ** Reichhalters - Royalty *** In General **** Reichhalters evolved from the military governors who oversaw various provinces. Their title meant Imperial Holders. **** At first they were all appointed by the Kohild and Faez emperors, but when the Dynasty weakened, more and more Reichhalters were succeeded by their children, forming de facto dynasties, gradually accumulating personal armies that were loyal to them and were passed on over the generations. ***** While the regional infantry were carefully regulated by the empire and mostly loyal to the emperor, the Reichhalters raised their own personal cavalry which became more and more relevant as time went on. **** During Vlaager tutelage, Reichhalters became more and more powerful and independant. There were even a few short civil wars. When -*-*- took over and the empire all but dissolved, many Reichhalters declared themselves dukes and princes. **** In the next century the Reichhalter princes fought for supremacy. Some established themselves as the Patrons of other Reichhalters, declaring themselves kings. **** Eventually a Reichhalter-King dynasty, called House Lowe, became the new Tutors of the Emperors, and set out to reclaim the Empire. ***** When consolidating their power, they made loyal Reichhalters kings, and replaced disloyal Reichhalters with princes. *** Kings (König), Princes (Fürst), Imperial Dukes (Reichherzog), Dukes (Herzog) (Politically), ** High Nobility *** Duke (socially) Baron/High-Baron, High Count (Landgraf), ** Low Nobility *** Margrave (Markgraf), Viscount (Vizegraf), Barronet/Low-Baron (Burggraf) ** Knights * Scholars ** In General *** Officially recognized Scholars can transcend social rank based on level of education and work within the Imperial Bureaucracy . In extremely rare cases Velliens can be give Freemen status based on education, and Freemen can by elevated to equal rank as nobility based on education and position, especially as clergy. *** Imperially recognized Scholarship can be achieved either by attending one of the Universities (most of which are outside the empire) or an apprenticeship credited with a license called an Ijaza (إجازة). *** Throughout most of the empire, scholars wear hats called Ealim (عالم) to display their status. Nobility can be fined a small amount for wearing Ealim ''without proper accreditation, while Freemen and Peasants can be flogged. **** An ''Ealim is a short curved conical hat; it has a short or wide brim depending on region and area of study. Ealims ''are made of felt or tightly woven textiles; they are embroidered with symbols of the scholar's area of study. **** Students wear versions of ''Ealim ''called ''Tilmidh which are flat on top. **** Scholars with higher experience and rank have taller Ealim. For the most advanced scholars' Ealim ''lean back due to height. ** Buerecrauts *** In General **** The Imperial Beuracracuy recruits educated members from both commoners and nobility. ***** It is very common for the second or third sons of nobles to join the beuracracuy since they can't inherit the land. ***** Members range from nobles in higher positions, to barely litterate commoners as cheap scribes. **** In theory the Beuracracy is meritocratic, but nobles tend to acheive the higher positions. *** Viziers **** Ministers Loyal to a ruler. ***** Every prince and king (and well off Duke) has 1-3 Viziers managing their territory and interacting with the imperial bueracracuy ***** The Emperor's Court includes six High Viziers who run the Imperial Beuracracy's five Vizirates ****** The five are State (run by the Grand Vizier), Treasurey, Justice, Works, and Rites. **** Viziers usually rank the same as a Count or High-Baron. High Viziers (the ones who work directly for the emperor and run the six Vizirates) are ranked the same as princes, the Grand Vizier is ranked just below a King. **** Most Viziers know some magic. A few are even full Wizards. However, the most famous Vizier in recent history, Sigurdius (born Gregor Aref ibn Khosrow) was completely unmagical. ** Clergy *** Eriditas Clergy **** In General ***** Officially recognized as the Primary church of the empire. ****** Also recognized as the local church of ***** Most clergy have another rank (mostly Freemen but some nobility in the higher ranks) but they have special privileges and like all Imperially recognized scholars they are recognized by different laws. **** Pontifects ***** Equal in rank to a Duke **** Cardinals ***** Equal in rank to a High Baron **** Archpriests ***** Equal in rank to a Viscount **** Priests ***** Either below or slightly above a knight in *** Waytrek Ecclesiastes **** In General ***** While officially considered only a secondary faith by the empire at large, they are all protected by law, and they have favored status in a few regions. ***** They are favored in the following regions: Mauroland, Saedvjony, and the northern Dampland. ****** In these regions Waytrek clergy have equal rank to Eriditas Clergy **** Elders / Presbyters ***** In General ****** Scholars of the faith. ***** Archbishops ****** Chosen as the leader of a particular council. ****** Serve a term of seven years ***** Bishop ****** Chosen as the leader of a particular faith-School ****** Serve a term of seven years ***** Magister ****** Teach as part of a faith-School ****** Some work in the campus of faith-Schools, other wander and take their students with them. **** Clerics ***** In General ****** Scholars of the faith who no not teach at a Faith-School but instead work among the lay people. ****** Certified by a Magister at a faith-school. ****** Required to memorize holy texts. ***** Shepard / Reverand ****** Administer congregation ****** Usually lead prayers ***** Deacon ****** Dedicate lives to serving among lay people ****** Often have to work seperate jobs ***** Dervish ****** Wandering priests who swear vows of poverty and proselytize among the masses. ****** Many join Dervish Orders which are rumored to teach magic. ***** Preceptor ****** Clerics who dedicate their lives to educating the poor. * Freemen ** In General *** Across the empire Freeman status is marked by copper. This is traced back to when Starken gave copper rings, necklaces, armlets with his sigil printed on them to loyal subjects to mark them as free citizens of his polity as opposed to the slaves of the surrounding lands. Poorer peasant-Freemen usually only wear copper rings, but artisans, businessmen, and merchants will usually have more extravagant copper adornments, such as pendants, chains, braclets, etc. In Saedvjony, it is customary for Freemen to wear knives with copper wire hilts. *** Allowed to own property, but sometimes limited. *** Allowed to join guilds *** Must be able to fight if they are called upon by their lords. ** Freeholder *** Highest ranking Freemen. Must be able to provide small fighting force for lord (very small 4-10 soldiers) *** Often start as successful businessmen *** Owns land and rents it out to peasants *** Powerful freeholders even run their own hamlets *** Allowed to own any amount of land. ** Merchants and Businessmen ** Free Artisans ** Men-At-Arms *** Serve their liege as part of a small force of professional soldiers for war and peacekeeping. ** Free Tenants / Peasant-Freemen *** Small farmers. *** Some will offer to work for their liege 1-2 days a week in exchange for more land (so that they have enough to feed themselves). *** Allowed to own up to 100 acres of land (less in some places) * Bonded Peasants ** Valliens / Cottars / Karls *** Allowed to own up to half an acre of land. *** Owe their liege 2-3 days of work a week (3-4 in some places). Usually 3 during the harvest or war time. *** Rent land from lord to feed themselves *** Can volunteer to join their Liege's army if they are asked to do so during wartime. ** Serfs *** Own no property. *** Status varies from kinda okay to slaves in all but name, depending on region. *** Spend 5 days a week working for their liege (6 in Valentia). Fed and clothed by their liege. *** They are only given land to work for themselves if they serve their liege exceptionally well *** in some regions they can be conscripted (even then, only on rare occasions). * Outsiders ** In General ** Runaways/Criminals Cuisine The Shards & Baylands Residents of those regions eat lots of fish, crustaceans, and other seafood. Roasted seaweed is a common cheap staple. One popular dish is called the Dockman's Pasty, a scrumptious morsel consisting of cheese (and sometimes cheap meat) wrapped in roasted seaweed. Religon Cehsilism '''Doctrine' The doctrine of Cehilism can be summarized by the Credi, the Avowals. The most important is the Credi Awal, ''the foremost Avowal: "Hear world, there is one god, Aileh is Almighty alone. Aileh's prophet Cehsil revealed the truth, that there is no one equal to Aileh." The next is the three part ''Thaluth ''Avowal. * It begins with the ''Credi Alab. "Allfather Aileh created the heavens and the earth and all living things, he created humankind as his children. * Next is the Credi Abn: "So much did he love his children, that Incarnate Aileh walked the earth as Yesu * Finally the Credi Rwh: "He dwells not just above. Radient Aileh shines within all humankind." Scripture Cehsilism follows two scriptures. The Kalima is the old surviving fractured gospel translated and pieced together by Cehsil. While some scholars say that Cehsil wanted these to be the only scriptures his church used, in practice they have largely been forgotten by laypeople. The stories are told to the laypeople, like the Creation, the fall of the Giant King, and the trials of the Deathslayer, but the text is primarily used by the clergy. The more widely known scripture is the Volumen, the collected writings and sayings of Cehsil. The most famous part of the Concordiant is the Asma, the 51 Names. Each name is part of a set of three. The first set is the most famous and the one featured in the Thaluth: Allfather, Incarnate, Radience. Composed while he was on the run from Ailewu, each name was meant to symbolize a different aspect of God. It is said that originally there were 36 names but Cehsil destroyed 15 of them in a fit of anger when a follower implied that Cehsil's list was a perfect representation of God. Cehsil threw 15 names in a fire and said that God was infinite. Different cultures and regions prioritize different sets of the names. Priests are required to learn all the names. Denominations Ereditas ''' '''History * When Cehsil died, Lucus declared himself Arbitex of Onwe and manged to conquer some of the surrounding Basileates. Lucas appointed Jackin another Disciple, to take his place, which was lucky because Pavos died in battle against a mercenary army hired by slavers. Jackin only served for two years before abdicating, but he was responsible for some important missionary missions that led to the faith spreading throughout Obodios. He appointed Jae-Ho, who is also credited with founding the first church in Veiiun itself. Controversially Jae-Ho appointed his son Yu-Cheon. Yu-Cheon ruled for only a few years. He was succeeded by his son in law Marcus II. * Marcus II started off okay but lost most of the polity when his poor diplomacy ended the alliance with the province of Obodios and deteriorating relations with the Veiiunic Empire, eventually culminating into an Veiiunic incursion into the Polity which led to them losing much of their conquered territory. Marcus II was replaced by his son JudanThe leadership of the Wayr who proceeded to lose the rest of the polity when the Veiiunic Empire finally invaded Organization The Ereditas today is centered around the Collegium Pius. There are six Pontiffs, one of which is the Pontifect, and one Arbitex. Traditionally, the ranking of the Collegium is Pontifect, Arbitex, Pontiff. The of Pontiffs together act as the head of the Church, and the Pontifect acts as the head of the Pontiffs.The Arbitex represents the Church in political matters. Traditionally either gender may be a Pontiff, though officially only a male may be Arbitex, and unofficially only a male may be Pontifect. Each Pontiff which has a city and a region they are in charge of called a Synod. Whenever the Pontif of a Synod dies, his Clerici Cardinali (Cardinal Clerics) meet with the surviving Pontifs forming a local Collegium. The Collegium is overseen by the Pontifect;together the Collegium choose a new Pontiff. When the Pontifect dies, the Arbitex acts in their place until the Pontif for their seat is chosen, then the Pontiffs elect one of their own to be the new Pontifect. List of Sydnods: Ailewu, The Arbitex has his own Synod in Veiiun. Clerici are split into several ranks, the highest being Clerici Cadinali (informally Cardinals), then Clerici Episcopali (informally Bishops), Cleric Alimi (informally Alims), and simply Clerici, or Clerici Minimi. Otu History * When Jae-Ho appointed his son to be Pontifex, a group of Cehsilins opposed him. This included the supporters of Marcus. Marcus himself remained neutral and preached reconciliation, even though he was against dynastic rule. However, the Party remained a powerful force in internal politics. Wayseekers History * Founded by the Disciples Sean, Jackin, and X, the church of the Waytrek is the second largest Cehsilin denomination. Organization * The Wayseeking is organized into several Faithschools. ** Each school has a set of evolving doctrine regarding both practice and belief. Every Faithschool has a founding creed which outlines their main tenants. Scholars throughout the schools history will write Commentary on the Creed and other religious documents like the writings of Cehsil (the Volumen) and the Kalima. *** There is a special type of Commentary called Sharah ''(شرح). It is considered the most important work a scholar can do. It can even be entered into the school's Canon, so that other scholars will write commentary on it. ''Sharah ''must cite the ''Credi, the Kailma, the Volumen. ** Faithschools are defined by their lineage. Each school can trace its roots to communities founded by the Disciples. *** Schools offer Ijaza liscences based on their lineage, so that every cleric of the school is able to trace their scholarly lineage all the way back to the profit Cehsil. * Clergy includes Elders/Presbetyrs who are liscenced to teach by the schoo such as Bishops, and Magisters, Other clerics include Shepards / Reverands, Deacons, Dervishes, and Preceptors. The Gebluteiche Church * A sect common in the Deepwood. Widely considered heretical. * When the Arbitex cracked down on heritics, a group of unorthodox Cardinals fled into the Deepwood. There they formed a new Diocese with a secret Pontiff called the Cardinal of Oak. ** It is said that they choose an old god of Forest and of Blood, to lead them. Languages Non-Human Civilizations They say that before the First Empire, there wasn't a human born who lived free. All were subjugated by the other creatures, Ogres, the Hirudinea, the Gardana, The Tuatha de Herne, The Ogres managed to form several empires. The Hirudinea ruled many human herds in the north. The Tuatha de Herne retreated to the heart of several forests after the great fire of the Mythic age. After the invention of agriculture, humans began to outnumber the other species, partially because they could adapt to different biomes and technological circumstances. Ogres Hirudinea It is said that they feed on the life force of humans who are rude to them. Some claim that the kings of Gaurlince are secretly descended from Hirudinea, and let Hirudinea nobles rule in isolated towns, where they prey on the peasantry. Magic Principles Magic is a strange branch of the laws of nature that responds to the will of sentient beings. Magic really is weird. On one hand it does not break the laws of reality. Magic follows conservation of energy, and cannot otherwise violate the laws of physics. Sometimes magic even seems downright scientific. It usally seems to follow concrete rules that its users can exploit. On the other hand, the logic of magic is often more poetic than scientific. Magic favors spells that use the number 3 or 7. Magic treats older things as more powerful. Magic is most powerful in things or spaces between two extremes, fire and ice, life and death, sea and land. Magic also seems to favor irony and poetic justice. Applied Magic Spells are constructed out of language. The text of the spell specifies what it does and how. Spells must be logical and specific, but they must also invoke emotions, and fit poetic structures in order for the spell to work. Magic works exponentially better the older the languague used, but since languages change over time, magic users have to reconstuct old languages in order to use them. Complex spells must be written with more and more complext text. In order to have the desired effect in a more reasonable time, magicians learn to assoicate the entire text with a few words or lines, usually the opening lines or chorus from the spell itself. These are the Words of Power associated with wizards. Natural Magic In General Most academics belive that all the magic that seems to be natural, is actually complex and self sustaining spells from some ancient civilization, perhaps the first Republic of the Gods. Spirts Spirits appear to be sentient/animalistic creatures without physical form. They appear and act upon the world using magic. In actuality, spirits are really extremely complex self sufficent spells from the ancient civilization of the gods. Witchstorms Floating Islands Upside down waterfalls Deep Lore In an alternate version of Earth 2, a colony ship full of powerful scientists and leaders fled the solar system during before third world war. They went ~50 light years away to a new planet which they terraformed. The journey was long and they engineered themselves to be powerful immortals, calling themselves the first ones. Most of the first generation died due to genetic imperfections caused by their experiments. The second generation was long lived but many accidentally killed themselves when trying to increase their perfection. The survivors of the first and second generations ran the terraforming project. In the end, surviving elders and the third generation decided to live as wandering hunter gatherer hedonists. In order to ensure that no other humans would take the planet they populated it with monsters like ogres and dragons. Eventually new humans came and settled the planet fleeing an apocalypse. In this universe, Hans Reichman actually did destroy the earth with an asteroid during the solar war. As a result, the economy and ecology of the solar system was destroyed, Survivors fled the solar system and headed to the rumored location of the terraformed planet. When they reached the planet they established whatever civilizations they could. Within 100 years their power supply. Began to run out. Because all scientific knowledge was stored on computers they were unable to find new power sources. Without their technology humanity fell into a new dark age. Many of them came to worship the first ones who presented themselves as gods. Over the course of 2,000 years new civilizations developed. They learned to take advantage of what they thought of as magic. At this point their technology is roughly similar to Europe and Asia in the 1200s.